Road Warriors: Daniel—A Message of Holiness - Monday
Daniel 1:8a
But Daniel was determined not to defile himself... (NLT)
We’ve looked at Isaiah and Jeremiah, and now this week’s road warrior is Daniel. As Scott talked about yesterday, Daniel is a prime example of holiness and trust in God.
A stranger in a strange land, Daniel lived during a time when God’s people seemed to have little hope. They were living as captives in Babylon, hundreds of miles from home, with only faint wisps of God’s promises that things would somehow work out.
Daniel had several encounters with King Nebuchadnezzar—times of pressure, times of persecution, even times when his life was literally on the line. Yet each time, Daniel feared God over man. Daniel could’ve compromised but, instead, chose to stand out as an example of holiness and trust in God. We can learn much from his uncompromising life.
So how did he do it, and how can we do the same?
We are given our first clue in Daniel 1:8, in this short but powerful little statement: “Daniel determined not to defile himself.” Before any temptations came or before he was in a difficult situation, Daniel had determined what he was going to do.
There’s a phrase I’ve adopted from Jonathan Pokluda that’s proven very helpful: “Don’t determine faithfulness by the perceived outcome.” In other words, stay faithful, and let God handle the results.
You can’t wait until you’re in the situation to determine what you will do. You can’t just wait to see how you will feel or what will be easiest. Daniel knew sin does not operate that way. It’s too enticing, it’s too deceptive, and it’s too good at getting us to justify compromise. The snare of idolatry may be nearer than we imagine. So we have to have the courage now to determine not to defile ourselves.
It comes down to trust. Do you trust God at His word? Do you trust that God is in control? Do you trust His goodness and love for you? When you do, it makes decisions of compromise crystal clear.
Monday’s Reflection
Have you determined not to defile yourself? What’s your plan to flee temptation? What are you going to say when offered something that would compromise your morals? Decide now what you want most, so you’ll be able to choose that over what you may want in the moment.
